RSPA - Religious School Parents Association

The role of the RSPA is to provide support to all the Religious School parents while deepening their connection to the community. The RSPA works throughout the school year to facilitate and inform the Religious School families about curriculum, calendar updates, as well as events and programs offered to our kids and families Temple-wide. In addition, the RSPA partners with two existing events, Book Fair and Purim, to make them more relevant and meaningful for the Religious School children and families. The RSPA also is in charge of organizing an end-of-year thank you event for clergy, teachers and staff.

The RSPA rely on parent involvement to make sure that we keep in the tradition of community involvement Temple Isaiah is known for. That is why we encourage all of you to help by volunteering starting this year. There are many positions available, even some with minimal time commitment.
Parents can volunteer as RSPA committee chairs or members or choose to volunteer as room parents for their children’s classes. All of these positions are essential to make the Religious School experience better for our children, as well as ensure the success of events and programs.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please take a moment to read the brief descriptions of what each RSPA committee does and how you can become involved:

If you have questions or would like to volunteer for a chair position please email us at: RSPA@TempleIsaiah.comSharon DeMayo, RSPA Chair

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

ROOM PARENT Coordinator: Ariella Silver

The Room Parents’ coordinator will work closely with the school staff to consolidate and organize all the information relevant to the RS community. She will coordinate both school wide as well as class specific distribution, and will assist all room parents through that process. The Room Parents’ coordinator will also support teachers and committee chairs in identifying volunteers when necessary.

CLASS ROOM PARENT:

Each class will be represented by at least one parent. She/he will be in charge of sharing information from the teacher and from the administration with all other parents in the class. The Room Parent’s goal will be to make a positive difference in parents’ connection to the RS by helping them to gain a deeper understanding of the curriculum, the classroom activities, and the community events offered.

If you would like to be a room parent for your child’s class please indicate your full name, your child’s name and the grade they are in, and email Ariella at ariellasilver@gmail.com

BOOK FAIR Chairs: Donna Frand and Caryn Friedman

There are two Book Fairs every year, typically held in October and in March. Although essentially organized and led by the Preschool, starting this year the Book Fair will also be open during RS hours on Tuesdays and Sundays. The RSPA Book Fair Chairs will work closely with the PPA Book Fair Committee to ensure that the book choices reflect the interests of older children (K-6). The RS Book Fair chairs will also assist with sales and staffing during RS hours, and will be responsible for promoting the Fair to the RS community.

If you would like to volunteer for a shift during the Book Fair email Donna at donna2k@yahoo.com

Purim Carnival: Chair: Jamie Halimi

Every year Temple Isaiah celebrates Purim with a large Temple-wide organized carnival. The RSPA will join in organizing this event and will promote participation within the RS community. This coordinator will solicit and oversee the volunteers in charge of the specific areas of the carnival pertaining to the Religious School. The coordinator will also work with the Temple and Preschool representatives (PPA Purim Reps) to coordinate all aspects of the carnival. This position can be done mostly off-site but requires flexibility and great organizational and communication skills.
If you would like to help organize or volunteer for the Purim Carnival please email Jamie at jhalimi@hotmail.com

Purim Carnival Games: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers for this position will help staff carnival games most appealing to Religious School-aged children. They will also help with promotion so that RS families are excited and look forward to attending the carnival (i.e. emails, flyers and blurbs.)

Carnival Prize Room: Ellie Yadegar

Volunteers will help shop for prizes most appealing to Religious School-aged children, as well as help organize and staff the Prize Room on the day of the event. These volunteers will also help set up the room the day before the carnival and break down the room on the day of the event.

SNACK SHOP Chair: Lisa Mirell Morrison

In a Temple wide effort to be more mindful of how we nourish our bodies, the Religious School will start to offer healthier and more nutritious options this year. Sales and purchasing still be managed by the RS office staff, however RSPA volunteers will consult and help find appropriate options from a variety of vendors, while helping with inventory and organization of the “snack shop closet”.

TEACHER APPRECIATION Chair: Vivian Grafstein

This committee will plan and coordinate the annual Teacher Appreciation event, typically hosted at the end of May. Responsibilities will include choosing a theme, organizing entertainment, coordinating the food and overseeing other details such as recruiting volunteers to help during the planning phases, set up or at the event. This is a perfect committee for any parent since the event is in the spring and planning meetings are flexible. It is a great way to work closely with other RS parents while showing our RS teachers and staff how much we care and appreciate all they do.

If you would like to volunteer to help with the Teacher Appreciation event email Vivian at viviograf@gmail.com